From this overlook 1,400 feet above the the river, one can understand why the New River Gorge is known by many as the Grand Canyon of the East. Thanks to a bipartisan measure by Congress, New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia was designated the 63rd national park in the United States, and the first in West Virginia. Earning the national park designation is important for a space, because it means it will be preserved and protected for purposes such as providing a habitat for wildlife, recreation and conservation -- not development. Chelsea Ruby, the tourism commissioner for West Virginia, said she expects a significant increase in the already 1.4 million annual visitors to New River Gorge National Park, citing a 21% increase in tourism that Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore saw when it was designated a national park. “It’s a real victory,” West Virginia Sen. Shelley More Capito told the Washington Post.